NCPC Meetings

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NCPC Annual Meeting 2012

Monday thru Wednesday, June 18-20

Asheville, NC

Registration URL: https://www.123signup.com/register?id=sjdxh
 
Change Registration URL: https://www.123signup.com/change?id=sjdxh

 Information Page URL: https://www.123signup.com/event?id=sjdxh

Information:

Stephen Barefoot will be out of the office from May 15 for a period of three weeks, with limited access to email or telephone.

During that time, if you have questions about this event, please contact the following:

Online registration issues: Contact NCPC webmaster Serena Ebhardt, EbzB Productions; 

Event schedule & Asheville-related questions: Contact Rae Geoffrey, Associate Director, Diana Wortham Theatre, Asheville; 828.210.9837; rae@dwtheatre.com

More about Asheville? Visit http://www.exploreasheville.com/

Welcome to Asheville.pdf

Explore Asheville.pdf

DWT's Asheville Restaurant Guide.pdf

Registration is now open for the 2012 NC Presenters Consortium Annual Meeting, Monday afternoon thru Wednesday midday, June 18-20, 2012. After a dozen years at Atlantic Beach for our gathering each June, NCPC is heading to the other side of the state. For the next part of this century, we’ll alternate between the mountains and beach for our annual meeting event.

John Ellis and Rae Geoffrey at Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville, along with their supportive host committee members, have planned a grand event. With an increased focus on professional development and career enhancement skills & service, the upcoming meeting will be informative, educational, of guaranteed long-term value, great tasting and a heck of a lot of fun. 

Our host hotel is within convenient walking distance of our meeting headquarters. Super dining and art-filled opportunities are at every step, door after door after door. We’ll even have a trip to the Biltmore Estate on Wednesday – included as part of our event.

As always, the NCPC Annual Meeting is open to all membership categories – presenters, agents, managers, performing artists, vendors and service organizations. The four significant resource sessions (see descriptions in schedule) will be informative for everyone, regardless of which hats we may wear. Members are encouraged to register additional staff and board.

Between sessions on Tuesday, we’ll enjoy lunch with a dessert of speed pitches from our agent and artist members informing us what they have on tap for the coming season -- and presenters can look for late-breaking “deals” to fill any series gaps. (The more extensive “beach blanket consultation” styled agent/presenter rotations from our storied beach pier will now take place at the NCPC meeting in November. This fall meeting will remain in Durham consistently, alternating with the ArtsMarket showcase conference.)

2012 is also the year when we officiate our biennial changing of the Royal Court, beheading our outgoing president and crowning our new despot for the coming two-year term. The departing Duke of Sampson will wave his royal scepter one last time, and the incoming Earl of Yum-Yum will assume the collapsible throne.

Registration Fees

Fees for this year’s meeting are the same as for the past four years. This convening is funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and North Carolina Arts Council, and we are very grateful for their generous support.

Early bird registration, prior to 5 PM on Friday, June 8:  $105 per person (includes conference materials, professional development seminars, Monday evening’ reception and dinner, Tuesday lunch, and admission to the Biltmore Estate on Wednesday. (Biltmore tickets provided courtesy of Diana Wortham Theatre.) One complimentary Biltmore admission per meeting registrant.

Late bird registration, from 5 PM Friday, June 9 thru June 16:  $160 per person

For additional persons: On the registration form, use “guest” registrations to register additional professionals from your organization who will be attending the event; use “spouse” registration to apply to any other person who may be joining you on an a la carte basis for social events or meals.

For “spouse” registrations, fee for the Monday PM dinner is $45; Tuesday lunch is $20. A la carte option does not include attendance at any of the meetings/workshops or Biltmore Estate admission.

Host Hotel:

Renaissance Asheville, 131 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801

Tel. 828.252.8211; 800.468.3571

Conference rate: $139 plus tax; complimentary wi-fi; room rate honored from Sunday, June 17 thru Wednesday, June 20

NOTE: Cut-off date for group rate is May 18, 2012

Direct link for online NCPC group rate reservations:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/avlbr?groupCode=preprea&app=resvlink&fromDate=6/18/12&toDate=6/20/12

If making reservations by phone, please identify yourself as a member of NC Presenters Consortium and reconfirm the group rate as quoted.

MEETING SCHEDULE

(subject to change)

All sessions at Diana Wortham Theatre, Downtown Asheville,

unless otherwise noted

Monday, June 18:

12:00-3:00PM: NCPC Exec Committee

4:00-5:30PM: NCPC event registration/check-in

5:30-7:30PM: Opening reception & dinner

7:30-7:45PM: Host venue welcome & remarks

7:45-9:00PM: Opening Session

Finding Your Center: Ken Stein

What is it about your theatre and your programming that makes you unique in your marketplace?   What is your competitive edge?  Ken Stein, former Executive Director of the Austin Theatre Alliance and Board Member for the League of Historic American Theatres will discuss how he took a bankrupt theatre and turned it into a beloved and profitable institution while sitting in the shadows of two larger, newer performing arts centers. With half the number of seats and even less money than its neighboring competitors, the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX sold more tickets, booked bigger acts and out-fundraised every other arts organization in the city.   During this presentation, Mr. Stein will discuss how to identify your best features and then turn them into your competitive edge to increase revenue streams and build brand loyalty that will make sure you remain on solid financial ground regardless of what the competition throws at you.

Ken Stein has worked with several non-profits over the past 20 years. He began his career in the for-profit sector with Humana Inc. where he spent 5 years as Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Since entering the non-profit arena, Stein has raised over $100 million for local, regional, and national non-profit organizations including PBS, Planned Parenthood, League of Historic American Theatres, and the American Cancer Society. During his career Stein has worked with several distinguished individuals including Vice President Al Gore, President Jimmy Carter, President George W. Bush, Governor Ann Richards, Ambassador Andrew Young, Senator Sam Nunn, as well as award-winning actors Lily Tomlin, Diane Keaton and Shirley MacLaine.

His accomplishments with special events and on-line fundraising have been featured in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The NonProfit Times, InternetWeek.com, Business Week Online and Direct Marketing News. In 2008, Stein was recognized for his use of social media platforms to raise funds and awareness for non-profits. Fast Company Magazine recognized his personal blog by naming him one of the most influential people on the internet in 2009. His writing has been positively reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post and Atlantic Monthly Magazine. Award-winning editor and writer Andrew Sullivan said Stein’s on-line blog (read by 4 million readers) “knocks my socks off!”

During Mr. Stein’s tenure as Executive Director/CEO for Austin Theatre Alliance, he transformed Austin’s oldest performing arts center from bankruptcy to profitability in three years by reorganizing and renegotiating all major business functions. Serving as public spokesperson and primary fundraiser, he established operating reserves and endowments to ensure continued financial stability. Responsibilities included directing all aspects of theatre operations including programming, marketing, contract negotiations, special events, direct mail, grants, sponsorships, community relations and major donor solicitations. He was responsible for reorganizing the Board from 75 to 25 board members to ensure full board engagement, and managed 40 employees and 300 volunteers while maintaining relationships with 2,000 subscribers and 4,000 members.

Mr. Stein’s accomplishments during this period include the following:

¨ secured the organization’s first-ever National Endowment for the Arts grant

¨ secured the largest private foundation grant in the organization’s history

¨ negotiated new ticketing system securing $500,000 in new operating revenue

¨ negotiated new union contract which produced annual labor cost savings in excess of $100,000

¨ re-organized parking and concession operations, increasing annual revenues by $400,000+

¨ Increased annual memberships by 214% or $2.2 million annually

¨ reversed decline in subscriptions and brought operations from bankruptcy to profitability

¨ increased operating reserves from $200,000 to $3,000,000 and retired all debt

Tuesday, June 19

8:00-9:00 AM: Breakfast-on-your-own

9:15-10:45 AM: NCPC Annual Meeting, Ray Jordan, Pres. Presiding

(agenda to be distributed)

11:00AM-12:15 PM: Resource Session -- Red-Carpet Service, Act 1

Delivering a Red-Carpet Customer Experience

To Earn Returning Customers, Referrals and Results

Donna Cutting

Whether you are a small or large performing arts center, a university programmer, a local arts council or an agent or artist who markets to a variety of presenters, the experience you give your customers can make the difference between meeting or not meeting your goals. Walk away from this presentation with immediately implementable ideas for rolling out the red carpet so you retain and grow your audience/customer base. Learn from the examples of other people and organizations who have increased their success by improving the customer experience.

Donna Cutting, CSP is the President and CEO of Red-Carpet Learning Systems, a consulting firm that helps leaders engage their team in improving the customer experience for bottom line results. She is the author of The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red-Carpet Customer Service. She is an avid theatre-goer and patron of the arts and is founder of "Ladies Who Love Live Theatre," an organization dedicated to supporting and regularly attending local theatre in the Asheville area. Through her experience as a devoted audience member, a former volunteer director, a meeting planner, an actress and an in-demand keynote speaker - she understands customer experience in the arts from all sides of the spectrum. Best of all, her theatrical background lends itself to her highly interactive, fun and funny presentations that will keep you laughing as you learn.

12:30-2:30 PM: Lunch, Dessert, Deals and Decapitation

We’ll head to another scenic downtown Asheville venue for Tuesday’s informal Lunch-and-Lunge. When we get to the sweet stuff, we’ll turn the mic over to our agent and artist members for a fun and informative NCPC-styled pitch-and-plea/beg-and-barter dessert rotation where the only limitation imposed will be the clock... Presenters will also have the chance to share what they’ve got lined up for the coming season, and we’ll cap it off with the official de-throning of the royal guard and installation & pain-ridden initiation of the new regime.

3:00-5:00 PM: Resource Session – Red Carpet Service, Act 2

Delivering a Red-Carpet Customer Experience, continued

Donna Cutting

10 things you can do immediately to improve your audience's experience.

10 ways agents can deliver extraordinary service to presenters.

10 best ways presenters can deliver red-carpet service to agents.

How to deliver a curtain speech that better connects you with your customers.

How to engage your team (paid and volunteer) in rolling out the red carpet for your customers.

Why customer experience matters to both presenters & agents and their "bottom lines"

Low-cost and no-cost ways to make "Movie Moments" for your customers that result in repeat attendance (or business) and referrals.

PM: An evening in Asheville, with drinks & dinner on-your-own or group dine-arounds TBA

Wednesday, June 20

8:00-9:00 AM: Breakfast-on-your-own

9:15-9:45 AM: NCPC Open Mic, Earl of Yum-Yum presiding

10:00-11:15 AM: Closing Session

Selling a Show 140 Characters at a Time: Ken Stein

What can best practices from the social media industry tell you about your audience?  Ken Stein, former Executive Director of the Austin Theatre Alliance and Board Member for the League of Historic American Theatres, will discuss programming strategies, creative ticketing/event bundling, membership models, and fundraising.  Learn how to convert your season from genre-based programming to lifestyle-based programming by applying the concepts of social marketing to your business model.  Turn ticket buyers into loyal donors and create a membership base that doesn’t leave you even when the Lion King or Wicked isn’t on your season.

11:30 AM: Kum Ba Yah -- then experience first-hand many of the customer-focused ideas expressed by our two speakers with your complimentary admission to The Biltmore Estate.

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Upcoming Meetings

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Pictures From the NCPC Annual Meeting At The Beach